Valve housing with strainer



June 5, 1962 K. MCFARLIN VALVE HOUSING WITH STRAINER Filed March 16, 1959 03 M/ W 22 9 P I B I I h I 2 6 8 2 w \H 6 m 0 2 W n 3 a m s 2 4 2 INVENTOR. KIRK McFARLIN ATTORNEY ire This invention is an improvement in accessories for fluid conduits, strainers and valves therefor to be sunk in water; and constructed to prevent the entrance of stones, sticks, twigs and other foreign bodies, and thus avoid choking pipes and hose, and damage to pumps and other equipment which cause the water to flow through the strainer.

An important object of this invention is to provide a unit that can move about freely in a pond, creek, river or other source of natural water; and that in all positions, upon a bottom or against a bank or when merely suspended in the water, will be unobstructed and will permit the water to enter freely so that a copious flow therethrough can at all times be maintained.

Another object is to provide a device comprising a pair of sections one of which is adapted to act as a strainer, while the other has the form of a housing containing a valve that opens to permit the Water to pass the'rethrough in normal operation and prevent the return flow thereof. The section adapted to act as a strainer and the section that serves as a housing for the valve can be attached to each other or used separately by connecting either section to the end of a hose line or other conduit through which the water is delivered; and for this purpose each section will have its own neck with internal threads for connection with a hose or pipe line; and one of the sections, such as the valve housing, will have a projecting, externally located neck with threads which can be screwed into the neck on the other section when it is desired to use both sections together.

The invention along with other objects, and the nature and advantages thereof are clearly set forth hereinafter and the drawings exhibit an embodiment of the device. But of course structural changes can be adopted in numerous respects without departure from the general design containing the invention as defined by the terms of the appended claim.

On said drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows in sid view a preferred form of the invention; and

FIGURE 2 indicates the action and utility thereof.

' The invention as illustrated has a section in the form of a hollow round body, indicated as a whole by the numeral 1, and bears end closure members 2 and 3. The other section 4 comprises a cylindrical housing which can be coupled to the section 1, or detached. Either section can be used alone, or both in combination, as will fully appear herein later.

' The members 2 and 3 of the section 1 are permanently joined to the opposite ends of a foraminous connecting wall 5, preferably cylindrical in configuration and encircling an inside baffle plate 6, having the same shape and affixed along one edge to the inside face of the memher 2. The wall 5 and plate 6 are concentric. Both members 2 and 3 project beyond the wall 5 all around it, and thus present terminal flanges 7, the edges of which have rims 8 extending all round the Wall 5 and towards each other, so that a space 9 of considerable width is between each rim and the wall 5. In the end member 2 within the bafile ring is a central circular opening, and to the member 2, around the rim of this opening is aflixed an internally threaded neck 10 that projects inside the body 1 and is surrounded by the baffle 6. An outlet conduit may be coupled to the neck 10, so that water can be drawn through the strainer by a pump to which the conduit leads when rates tent this section is used alone. The wall 5 has a large number of inlet openings 11, round or having any other outline desired. The end member 2. may be regarded as the top of the strainer and the member 3 as the bottom. Rims 8 are smooth, preferably round in shape. The baflle 6 terrninates above the bottom member 3.

The flanges 7 with rims 8 act as guards or fenders and prevent the wall 5 from making contact with the bottom or bank of a pond, creek or other body of water, or any object therein; hence the apertures 11 in the wall 5 are not obstructed or clogged with mud or stones, sticks and twigs, or other objects that would prevent the free passage of water through the section 1. This action is exhibited on FIGURE 2. Also the round outline of the flanges and rims enables the strainer to move sideways freely wherever movement is necessary.

As illustrated, the end member 3 may have a number of openings 12 in the central part encircled by the wall 5. These openings 12 also permit water to enter the section 1, and when this section is to be lifted out, the water that would be trapped in the outside space 9 encircled by the rim 8 of the bottom member 3 can be quickly drained out through the openings 12 in the adjacent part of the wall 2. The openings 12 may 'be omitted. The members 2 and 3 can be affixed to the wall 5 by welding as indicated at 13.

The section 4 is likewise cylindrical and the lateral wall 14 thereof is round and closed at the top or delivery end of the unit by means of an end member 15. This end member has an opening therethrough at the center, concentric with the wall 14, and coinciding with this opening is an outside neck 16 of the same shape and diameter as the neck 10 in the section 1; and having inside threads of the same pitch as the threads of the neck 10. The opposite end Of the section 4 is closed by an end member comprising metal plates 17 and 18, with a gasket 19 of hard rubber or some other suitable material between them. The plates 17 and 18 and the gasket 19 have registering openings 20 adjacent the periphery of these parts, and close to the inside face of the wall 14, and the inside surface of the plate 17 has threaded nuts 21 welded fast thereto around the holes 20. The end member 16 and the plate 17 are of course made fast to the wall 14, as by welding indicated at 13; and when bolts 22 having heads 23 are inserted through perforations '20, and screwed fast in the nuts 21, these bolts will hold the plates 17 and 18 and gasket 19 securely in place.

The metal plates 17 and 18 have a central aperture or port comprising openings 24 and 25, respectively; the opening 24 through the plate 17 being slightly larger, so that the opening 25 in the plate 18 overlaps the edges of the opening 24. These openings are of course concentric with the bafile 6 in the section 1, and the plate 18 has a neck or boss 26 secured thereto all around the edge of the opening 25. This neck has outside threads of the same pitch and size as the threads in the necks 10 and 16, and the outside diameter of the neck 26 is of such size that this neck 26 can be screwed into the neck 10 to attach the sections 1 and 4 to each other.

The gasket 19 is cut to provide a round valve 28 which registers with the opening 24 in the plate 17, and rests when closed upon the edge of the opening 25. This valve is hinge-connected along a portion of its rim to the gasket 19. The top and bottom faces of this valve bear metal disks 29 and Si), and are secured to the valve by a through bolt 31 and nut 32. Hence, when the water is drawn through the device, the valve 28 can open, but will close to prevent the movement of water in the opposite direction.

FIGURE 2 indicates how the sections can be attached to each other and used together, with the neck 26 screwed into the neck 10 to join the sections 1 and 4; and with the coupling on the end of a conduit 33 screwed into the outer neck 16 of the section 4. Likewise, if the sections are either to be used singly, the section 1 will be separated from the section 4, and the couplin of the conduit 33 can be screwed into the neck 10 of the section 1, or into the neck 16 of the section 4. When the sections are joined together, the end member 2 will abut the outer ends of the bolts 22; and if desired, a gasket 34 may be interposed between the end member 2 and the plate 18 on the section 4; this gasket will surround the neck 26 and lie within the compass of the heads of the bolts 22. By making the threads of the necks or bosses 10 and 26 to fit tightly enough, the extra gasket 34 can be omitted.

The members 2 and 3 can be secured to the ball 5 as indicated by welding 13, and the baflle 6 can be similarly attached to the closure member 2. Other means, of course, can be employed for securing the parts of the unit together. The plates 15 and 17 are affixed to the closed wall 14 in the same way.

As illustrated particularly in FIGURE 2, the section 1 comprising the wall 5 with openings and the end members 2 and 3 can be utilized alone at the end of a hos line by screwing a metallic coupling on the end of a hose line into the inward projecting neck 10. The section 4 can be employed alone either at the end of a hose line, or at some point in the length thereof by connecting the hose line with the outward projecting neck 16, when this section is at the end of the line, or connecting the hose line to both outward projecting necks 16 and 26. When used together, the two main parts are simply attached, as shown in FIGURE 1, by screwing the necks and 26 together. All threads are of the same pitch and diameter for attaching the sections together, and a hose line to the neck 16, or a hose line to either section when used alone, or to the ends of the section 4. The necessary operations can always be performed by hand, no tools being needed. The gasket 19 is a flat layer and the valve 28 is integral therewith, but cut around and joined to the layer at a portion of its Therefore this invention is an improvement in a housing with a foot valve, designed to be used in combination with any strainer of commercial type and a pipe of proper size at the lower end of a suction line with pump, or alone without a strainer, and capable of being easily connected or disconnected from the pipe line, or strainer, or both.

Both suction strainers and combination foot valve strainers are normally constructed with a female or inner thread at the upper end to be connected to a suction pipe, or to a hose coupling, and are closed at lower or inlet end. The user, therefore, normally purchases a trainer with the suction pump unit, or a combined foot valve housing and strainer, which is a unit, with functions inseparable. Under differing conditions he may wish to use the housing with foot valve alone, or to have the foot valve housing available with or without strainer, or to use the strainer alone.

The housing with foot valve therein is constructed with female or inner thread at upper end and male or outside thread at the lower end, such threads being respectively slightly larger and smaller than normal size, thereby allowing the device to be not only used in combination with the strainer, or alone, or taken out of the assembly, but also to be easily and quickly assembled into or disassembled from the suction apparatus Without the use of tools.

Under changing conditions, as when the suction apparatus is moved from place to place in the field, the ability to effect these various combinations of assembly of the aforesaid components of the suction line, and to make such changes quickly and easily, constitutes a substantial improvement over existing procedures.

Since the housing with foot valve can also be used with any strainer of commercial design in similar pipe size, it has a wide field of use in pump suction practice.

Due to its construction this housing with foot valve with threads can also be employed to provide a check valve at any point in a fluid suction or discharge line, giving it enhanced usefulness.

Having described my invention, What I believe to be new is:

A device of the kind described having a body comprising a pair of sections, one section having a surrounding side wall with openings therein, said one section having a closing member aflixed to each of the opposite ends of said Wall, said closing members having each a flange projecting beyond said side wall, each flange having a rim which extends towards the flange of the other member, the other section also having a surrounding side wall and a closing member at each end, one closing member of said other section being adjacent a closing member of said one section, said closing member of the other section adjacent said one section having an inner end plate with a reduced valved central opening, the closing member of said one section adjacent the other seztion having a reduced central opening in line with said valved opening and having an inward projecting neck at its said central opening, said neck having internal threads, said last-named closing member on said one section having aflixed thereto an imperforate baffle member inside said one section and surrounding said neck, said closure member of said other section adjacent said one section having a neck projecting outward from the valved central opening thereof, with outside threads thereon to enter and engage the neck of said one section, the other section having in the closure member at its opposite end a central outlet opening with internal threads, the inside of said necks on said sections and the inside of said outlet opening being of the same size, said necks and said outlet opening having threads of the same pitch, the closure member of said other section adjacent said one section comprising another end plate having an opening in line with said valved opening and disposed adjacent the outer face of the first-named end plate, and bearing the neck of said other section, said first-named end plate being secured to the Wall of said other section and having welded nuts on its inner face within said wall, said plates having registering openings in line with said nuts, and bolts passing through said openings and engaged by said nuts to hold said other plate in place, the neck of said other section being secured to said other plate; the other closing member of said one section having openings surrounded by said side wall of said one section, whereby a discharge conduit can be joined to the entire body at the outlet opening of said other section, or separately to the neck of said one section when the other is disconnected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 704,012 Emerson July 8, 1902 1,473,667 Burks Nov. 13, 1923 1,890,513 Kessler Dec. 13, 1932 1,927,582 Denk Sept. 19, 1933 2,005,954 Peterson et a1 June 25, 1935 

